Monthly Archives: August 2016

Everyone goes to Edinburgh in August. Personally, I always hated the Fringe while working as a barista supervisor in the capital of Scotland some time ago – the hordes of tourists flocking through the door of the cafe, the incredible turnaround of people in a short space of time, and you – bang in the middle of it all, trying to keep the customers happy, the shop presentable and well stocked, and the team’s morale high (as high as possible) when they’re stuck indoors while the fun and sun are all happening outside. Yes, I hated the Fringe.

However, just like many of my Aberdeen friends, this year I too travelled to Edinburgh in August – twice, in fact. First visit was for my birthday – a mixed bag of experiences after a long night and short sleep before catching the train (that afternoon was particularly difficult). The second visit was business, mixed with catching up with a few friends – and, finally, checking out the coffee scene around there.

Sadly, I had just the day to cram work and pleasure in, and ended up only visiting two cafes – the first of which was my (second) breakfast stop, just as I got out at Haymarket.

Entrance to Le Marche Francais

Le Marcheé Français was recommended to me by a friend chef, as the best place for lunch in the area; truthfully, I didn’t think I’d pay it a visit this time round – originally I was going to get off at Waverley, but then decided I might as well walk into town from the West End. And, alas, there it was along the way – the cock in the window instantly grabbed my attention, and I thought (stomach rumbling already after a 3hour train journey) I might as well get my coffee here.

Once I crossed the door I remembered I had been there before – quite sure it was with my French friend too. The place was unmistakably français: traditional rustic decor, boulangerie at the door, and wall-tall wine racks filled with ruby bottles. Whatever my friend chef told me about lunch/brunch was ignored – I had to have a pastry with my mocha.

The very attentive yet genuine owner invited me to take a seat wherever I fancied (the place was spacious and pretty much vacant at this time of day) so I sat at one of the tables deeper inside the restaurant. The menu was there for my convenience and I was quick to give my order when the owner came over soon after; sadly, the pains aux raisins were all gone, so it was looking like a cocoa overload with a mocha and a pain au chocolat.

Moka at Le Marche Francais

I watched the owner masterfully take orders from other customers that arrived in the meantime – both sit-in and take out – without making anyone feel ignored or letting a newcomer cross the door without a welcome; this guy is certainly a pro in his trade. Soon after he had my coffee served, followed by the pastry.

As much as I was looking forward to biting into the pain, I wasn’t so sure about the “Moka”: the frothy milk on top did not look promising. I gave the drink a stir, hoping that would improve first impressions; not sure it did much difference.

Albeit not too bad overall, the concoction had a thin feel on the tongue, and so lacking a luxurious texture. It was also a bit weak on the chocolate side, although no doubt it had some coffee punch to it.

Despite that, I would certainly return to the place in the future, primarily for the familiar, welcome feel of it – and, if the pain was anything to go by, the lovely French food!

Moka: £2.10

Verdict justification: Not top notch coffee, but a lovely, independent venue in the West End

It’s been a while since I’ve taken an absolutely agenda-free city break all by myself: no work or family commitments involved – so I was really looking forward to this three-night stay in Prague.

It is during such escapades that I truly appreciate the mission of A Black Spot; because, as a newbie to a city which I had not taken enough time to research before arriving, to follow a coffee trail of the best venues in town is as good a tactical plan as any – and that’s exactly what I did.

I had made a list of a few cafes that had cropped up on the internet as the most exciting ones in the Czech capital, and made a rough sightseeing plan around those on the map. However, even though I ended up not going to a single museum or to see the Opera, I only managed to pay a visit to three coffee shops – that’s how engrossed I was in the colourful display of history of architecture, and the magical spirit of Bohemia; but the cafes I did visit did not disappoint:

Original Coffee

The first on the list was Original Coffee, located somewhere near the Bethlehem Chapel – I say somewhere, because by the time I left the hotel and realised I never noted down the address, I was without wifi and only had a wee dot on a map in the form of a phone screenshot taken a couple of days earlier, before arriving to Prague. I got a bit lost wandering down the narrow alleys around the church, having passed some inviting-looking cafes with outdoor seating on the way – a type of venue I decided to avoid after being told by some former residents to the Bohemian capital that they were typical “tourist traps” (not least like the cafes in Rome at Piazza del Popolo, where you can pay three times the price of an espresso at a cafe round the corner…).

Flat White at Original Coffee

Eventually, having made a full circle between the Chapel and the Vitava River, I found it: inconspicuous place with a modern sign and little more suggesting this could be a coffee haven.

However, upon entering you could feel a sense of freshness and liberty – the place was quite airy, and although the decor was pretty simple, it encouraged the visitor to come in and take a seat on a wooden bench with mismatched cushions, by a wooden table; that might be simply because the lunchtime heat was getting pretty heavy out in the open, but the cafe was nicely tucked into a shade of the buildings surrounding it, allowing both for warm air and fresh breeze to circulate freely.

The not-too-lengthy menu was mainly drink-based with a few snacky options and a couple of heavier eats; sadly, there was no mocha, and instantly recognising that English was not the main language in this place, I decided not to complicate things asking for a coffee with chocolate, and went for a flat white instead. I was so thirsty that I also decided to go for a kiwi juice alongside that.

Fresh kiwi juice at Original Coffee

The coffee arrived prontissimo, served in a glass (suiting the hipster style of the place). I took a sip, and was hit by a first-of-a-kind sensation: the concoction was quite acidic, something I have previously experienced with a certain type cocoa in a mocha, or a “neat” espresso, but not a milky coffee like a flat white! Simultaneously, the texture was quite thin, closer to a brewed coffee, rather than an espresso machine drink (which might well be the case – Chemex, perhaps?). It was also pretty strong.

All in all, it was an interesting, and, I guess, quite nice cup of coffee, once I got over the weird and unexpected taste sensations. Now, the juice was a different story, as it took forever to arrive (I would have finished my coffee twice over in that time) – but once I got it, I loved it. It was extremely fresh, with chunks of fruit throughout, and vibrant flavours. After this serving, I really felt energised to continue my first proper exploration of Prague.

Flat White: 65Kč (£2.04 aprox)

Verdict justification: They certainly know their bit about coffee, even if the initial experience wasn’t what I was expecting; and even though the staff seem to only know half a dozen words in English, they are still helpful and welcoming.

Tricafe

Czech trdelník with strawberry jam

After cooling down with the juice at Original Coffee, the ultimate refreshment came in the form of a heavy thunderstorm which left me completely soaked through by the time I reached my hotel that afternoon. Any plans to visit a coffee shop had to be moved to the following day; I did, however, manage to get a taste of the local cuisine, by sampling some of the trdelník, a cone of rolled dough with a filling of your choosing (I went for strawberry jam) – I simply couldn’t resist it, as the smell filled the air of the Old Town from all the stalls and cafes that were making them fresh – and I didn’t regret the choice.

Anyway, the following day I was adamant to visit at least two cafes, seeing that I was due to leave for home early the next day; but first, my mission was to see the Prague Castle, which I knew would take a few hours. Once I climbed to Hradčany and had a walk around the St Vitus Cathedral, I made a stop for an Aperol Spritz at the Panorama Cafe, which provides a lovely refuge from the sun, heat and crowds, plus fantastic views of the city.

Inside Tricafe

Once on the Karluv Most on my way back, I took a look at my screenshot map with the dotted cafes, and noticed there was a venue marked quite nearby, so I headed semi-blind in that direction.

Having remembered the name had figured my “to-do” list, it was easy to find Tricafe, and I was glad to learn that the staff were a bit more savvy with English than the previous place – and that mocha featured on their menu.

I placed my coffee order in the small bar room, and moved next door, which looked very much like someone’s living room, with its round wooden tables and chairs, deep armchairs and a rug on the floor.

Mocha at Tricafe

I helped myself to some water, displayed on top of a 60s cabinet (a welcome free offering I found customary in these Czech cafes) and my coffee was delivered soon after – to my surprise, with a marshmallow on the side. It looked promising, and proved to deliver on the taste also. It was pleasantly smooth, with a dense texture and sweet balanced flavour. There were tiny undissolved bits of chocolate on the bottom of the cup (once I got that far), which explained the rich taste; its only downside was the temperature, just below perfect, which meant it needed to be drunk quick, as every degree less made it taste more and more milky. To finish it off, the marshmallow proved a really good accompaniment to the mocha.

The place remained quite peaceful and relaxed, with a variety of people of all ages coming in and out. In all this, the only true confusing thing was the venue’s toilet door – it was designed to slide sideways, but with no door knob on either end, that proved a pretty tricky task…

Regardless, this is definitely a spot worth visiting, and – sorry Original! – the better coffee offering in the area.

Mocha: 85Kč

Verdict justification: Pleasant atmosphere and very good coffee (albeit, with its flaws)

EMA

Not discouraged by the collecting clouds (I had taken an umbrella with me this time), I continued my discovery of Prague, searching for the hanging Freud (I won’t spoil the surprise by explaining what that means!) and a few other curiosities, but truly, my main mission was to visit at least one more coffee shop. Just as with Tricafe, I knew where I was heading (thanks to my mini-map) but had no idea what I’d find there… until, among the more industrial-looking Na Florenci street I saw the shop called EMA.

Inside EMA

I entered the compact but simultaneously spacious (probably due to the very high ceiling) venue to instantly be immersed in the feeling that this was a place devoted to coffee culture. By this I don’t mean bags of coffee stacked by the walls and smell of roasting coming from the back room; in fact, I didn’t notice at first the multitude of different coffee processes that were taking place at the far end of the bar – what I did notice, was the atmosphere of professionalism and relaxation, merged under one roof.

The place – cleverly furnished to provide more seating than should have been comfortably possible – was cram-packed, but I was in luck: there was one seat, probably the best one in the house, bang in the corner by the window, still uncleared after the last customer. I saw it as I arrived, so I rushed to place my order for a mocha and one of the tasty-looking sandwiches displayed at the counter. The barista taking my order had an air of professionalism around her, tactile through her friendly attitude – I was liking the place more and more by the minute.

I took my place just in time, before a couple of new visitors arrived, followed by a party of four; this was obviously a popular establishment.

Mocha at EMA

When my order arrived, it fit the script for an artisan coffee shop perfectly; before the tray with the sandwich and the beautiful coffee arrived, however, I had some time to observe what was actually happening behind the bar. It wasn’t an easy task, as there were customers sitting there also, but it looked like Chemex was used a lot, espresso for every drink was carefully weighed, and basically every single cup had a lot of attention devoted to it.

I could not wait to have a taste of my own brew so I went for it; it started with a bit of a scare when the first smell of it brung up acidic notes to mind… but once I tasted it, oh my goodness, I was in heaven. Quite honestly – hand in heart – I do not remember the last time I felt this speechless from a culinary experience. The texture was smooth and dense, the flavours were punchy sweet and perfectly blended. Tantalising. When I turned my attention away from it to have a few bites of my sandwich, and therefore let it cool down a bit, it seemed to have developed a slightly grainy texture – which turned out to be tiny bits of chocolate, deliciously melting in the mouth after every sip.

This was by far the best coffee experience I have had in months – all of it: from the venue’s decor, to the demeanour of the staff to, of course, the produce and the feeling of love for coffee, conveyed in the cup.

So, if there’s anything you have to do whilst in Prague, it’s to have a coffee at EMA – but, be warned! You might get spoilt for life…!